Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin are now international medalists. To kick off the third season of their partnership, Yankowskas and Coughlin won the Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria, finishing ahead of American teammates Chloe Katz and Joseph Lynch, 163.14 points to 154.77.

After the short program at the Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria, Douglas Razzano is in sixth place with 66.95 points. He started his program to “Claire De Lune” by Claude Debussy with a triple Axel that earned him nine points, the highest scoring element of his program. He fell on the quadruple toe but moved on to perform a triple toe-triple toe combination and other strong elements, including two Level 4 spins.

World Champion Evan Lysacek jump started his season by winning the silver medal at Cup of China in Beijing, China, with 232.17 points. He was third in the short program and second in the free skate to finish on the podium, behind Japan’s Nobunari Oda, in his first event of the season. Americans Stephen Carriere (195.08) and Armin Mahbanoozadeh (176.53) finished off the podium in sixth and 11th, respectfully.

Mirai Nagasu could not forget about the short program. With the Cup of China gold medal within her grasp after a first place showing in Friday’s short, 2008 U.S. Champion Nagasu was overwhelmed, and ultimately placed fifth with155.38 points following multiple mistakes in the free skate Saturday. Rachael Flatt was fourth. Beatrisa Liang placed 10th.

Junior Grand Prix Finalist Angela Maxwell is proud to open her official Web site at Figure Skaters Online. Maxwell, who skates as a senior nationally, started her season by winning silver medals at the Junior Grand Prix events in Budapest, Hungary and Dresden, Germany.

Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin are on their way to claiming the first international medal of their careers. On Friday at the Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria, Yankowskas and Coughlin won the short program with 58.19 points, a little over a point higher than teammates Chloe Katz and Joseph Lynch (57.13).

An uncharacteristic mistake on the take off of the triple flip landed World Champion Evan Lysacek in third place after the short program at the Cup of China on Friday in Beijing, China. Stephen Carriere is seventh with Armin Mahbanoozadeh, making his first appearance on the Grand Prix, is 12th.

After a dismal showing last season because of an ankle injury that eventually forced her to withdraw from February’s World Junior Championships, 2008 U.S. Champion Mirai Nagasu served notice Friday that she is back. She won the short program at Cup of China in Beijing, China, her first international of the season with 62.20 points. Two-time U.S. silver medalist Rachael Flatt is fifth and 2008 World Championship team member Beatrisa Liang is ninth.

Evan Lysacek has a fondness for the Cup of China. Skating in Nanjing in fall 2006, he won the gold medal, establishing himself as one of the leading men of figure skating heading into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. His career has come along way since 2006 but he’s not relying on past honors to come through for him in the future.

The 2009 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series continues at the Cup of China in Beijing, Oct. 29-Nov. 1. The event, which will take place at Capital Indoor Stadium Beijing, begins Friday with the compulsory and original dances, and the ladies, men’s and pairs short programs.